Virginia Barbeque chain coming to Del.

There are nine Virginia Barbeque locations, all in its namesake state. Local entrepreneur Dan Maher hopes to have a dozen locations in Delaware and Chester County, Pa., in five to 10 years. Courtesy of Virginia Barbecue

Virginia Barbeque's model calls for the hickory-smoked ribs and other meats to be shipped from a central location already cooked and prepped.

Townsend entrepreneur Dan Maher is looking forward to an October opening.

It's a good time to be a barbecue lover in Delaware.

The state's paltry assortment of slow-smoked-pork emporiums has gotten quite a high-cholesterol boost this summer, first with the impending arrival of the Tennessee-based Bar-B-Cutie chain, and now with the planned invasion of several Virginia Barbecue restaurants into Kent and New Castle counties.

Townsend entrepreneur Dan Maher plans to open his first Virginia Barbecue franchise in the Middletown Crossing shopping center in October, with more to follow elsewhere in the county. In the next five to 10 years, Maher hopes to open a dozen locations in Delaware and Chester County, Pa.

"It seemed like a niche that I could fill," said Maher, who jumped the corporate ship and climbed aboard the barbecue bandwagon after a career in the software industry.

"I started thinking, OK, there's gotta be something better than traveling all the time," said Maher, 36, a weary veteran of hundred-plus-mile commutes and the father of three youngsters.

Virginia Barbecue's franchise model -- tailored to owners who don't want to spend endless hours on duty -- seemed just the recipe. The company's CEO, Wilmington native Rick Ivey, is himself a former executive chef who tired of the endless grind.

"We wanted to find an easier way to live, to not work so hard," Ivey said, which is partly why most of the restaurants open fairly late (11 a.m.) and close fairly early (7 p.m.). Each restaurant's assortment of ribs (dry and wet), pulled pork and beef brisket is shipped in already cooked and prepped, avoiding the logistical complications of setting up a hickory-wood smoker at each site.

"Our whole plan for Virginia Barbecue was to keep it as simple as possible," Ivey said.

Ultimately, Ivey said, he hopes to make his chain the "McDonald's" of the barbecue world, able to centrally distribute stock across the country, making each customer's experience as seamless and consistent as possible. There are now nine stores -- all in Virginia -- and Maher's Middletown location has a good chance to be the first outside the company's home state.

Besides being close to home, Middletown is also a prime spot for franchise success, Maher believes.

"It's a great time to open a business in Middletown. There's a lot of stuff going up," said Maher, who as an "area developer" is looking for other entrepreneurs to help continue the expansion here.

He also admits harboring a smidgen of selfish interest in opening a new barbecue joint in such a barbecue-deficient state. "I'm looking forward to just getting some to eat," he said.

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